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Vancouver man says condo ‘collapsing’ after neighbour removed load-bearing post

Wayne Morrissey ‘can feel the give in the floor’ of his West End suite
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Vancouver man Wayne Morrissey is considering legal action after he says a neighbour in the unit below his West End condo made renovations, including removal of a load-bearing post, without appropriate permits. (Wayne Morrissey Facebook photo)

A Vancouver man is concerned his West End condo is “unsafe to live in” after the person living directly below him removed a load-bearing post without appropriate permits.

Wayne Morrissey says he has been struggling for months to get someone to take responsibility for damages to his unit, meanwhile, the cracks in his walls keep spreading.

“Everyday I wake to more damages,” Morrissey posted on Facebook three weeks ago.

On Oct. 24 he told Black Press Media he now has seven cracks in his ceiling and the floor is “collapsing” below him.

“You can feel the give in the floor,” he told friends on Facebook. “I’m just hoping I don’t fall through it.”

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On July 16, ADB Structural Engineering completed a report regarding a “removed post” in the unit below Morrissey.

The engineer wrote that the City of Vancouver did issue a permit for the work, but the permit was only to remove a “non-load bearing wall in the kitchen and living room area.”

“I believe that this is incorrect as there should be a load bearing post in the wall,” the engineer concluded, adding that there should be a post in all of the units in that vertical column of suites.

The city was made aware of the work and a city inspector was sent to the building. As a result, the owner of the unit in question — who Morrissey says sits on the strata council — was charged a penalty and made to submit a permit application for the interior work performed.

However, a follow-up inspection found that the issue remained.

On Oct. 18 a building inspector returned to put up a legal notice, referring to inspection services that reported “work has been carried out beyond the scope of the building permit and in contravention of the Building By-law.”

The notice ordered the owner of the unit below Morrissey to submit a structural engineer’s report that describes whether the work carried out was beyond the scope of the building permit and if it has impacted the building structure. If it has, they must provide an assessment of the impact with recommendations for corrective action within two weeks.

Failure to comply will result in the matter being referred to the city prosecutor with a request to approve charges that could end up in provincial court.

On Oct. 24 the communications manager for the City of Vancouver, Neal Wells, told Black Press Media the owner had been in contact with a city building inspector to say a professional engineer had inspected the unit and was due to provide a report Friday.

“We also understand that a contractor is standing by to begin repair work over the weekend,” Wells said in an email.

Wayne Morrissey. (Wayne Morrissey/Submitted photo)


Meanwhile, Morrissey said he is pursuing legal action of his own.

He believes the city failed when it comes to how they handled his complaint and the permitting.

“I will now have to go to B.C. Supreme Court to get any resolutions,” he said.

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karissa.gall@blackpress.ca

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